Learning Experience

Science Concepts

Learning Activities

Course Introduction

1. Stalking Nature’s Pharmacy: The Search for Medicinal Plants

Characteristics of life, plants in everyday life, nature of science and scientific investigations

Students consider the various roles plants play in their everyday lives and read about the ethnobotanist Mark Plotkin and his quest for medicinal plants. Students then investigate the potential of certain herbs and spices in treating microbial infections and then construct an argument based on their findings and readings about the promise of medicinal plants.

Unit 1: Exploring Resources, Dynamics, and Diversity in Ecosystems

2. Simple Change, Unintended Consequences: Ecosystems

Connections among biological, physical, and chemical processes; how interactions among the biotic components and between the biotic and abiotic component define the features of an ecosystem; dynamic equilibrium in ecosystems; impact of change in ecosystems

Students examine the impact of a seemingly small change on the ecosystem of Lake Victoria. They analyze the impact of a natural or human-made change in the ecosystem on the biological, chemical and physical components and their interrelationships.

Further Investigation—
Changes in the Neighborhood: Ecological Succession

Factors involved in ecological succession

Students read about the impact the eruption of Krakatau had on the surrounding ecosystems. They then examine ecological succession directly using milk as a model system.

3. Go Forth and Populate: Population Dynamics

Communities and populations in ecosystems, population interactions and resource use, carrying capacity and limiting factors, population growth, biotic potential

Students read about human population growth past, present, and future, and construct and analyze graphs showing population growth using a model system of duckweed on a pond. Students then determine carrying capacity using graphical representations of population data and demonstrate population problems in the year 2100 that may result from carrying capacity and limiting factors.

4. So Many Species, So Much Time: The Origins of Biodiversity

Complexity of life on Earth, diversity of organisms, speciation, natural selection

Students determine the nature of a species, explain the gradations in biodiversity around the world, and investigate how natural selection determines diversity.

5. An Omnivore’s Dilemma: The Flow of Energy in Ecosystems

Interdependence of organisms, flow of energy in ecosystems, trophic levels, role of decomposers

Students consider their own needs and the needs of the environment in relation to food; students calculate energy flow through trophic levels. Students then design a meal that is nutritionally and environmentally sound.

6. Cycling Through the Ecosystem: The Flow of Matter in Ecosystems

Biogeochemical cycles, recycling of matter through ecosystems and through organisms

Students read about biomes, biogeochemical cycles and present their cycle to the class in a jigsaw learning activity.

Unit 2: Exploring Metabolism, Enzymes, and Their Place in the Cell

7. Corn to Milk: Metabolic Pathways

Universality of biomolecules and their functions, obtaining building blocks and energy through metabolism

Students learn about biomolecules in a jigsaw learning experience; students compare the biomolecular components in corn and milk and trace the transformation of biomolecules and energy in a cow.

8. Pernicious Poisons: Enzymes in Metabolic Pathways

Structure, function, and mechanisms of action of enzymes; role of enzymes in metabolic pathways

Students observe a demonstration of enzyme action and explore the mechanisms. They then determine the consequences to an organism if metabolic pathways are blocked by the inhibition of enzyme action.

9. Cell—At the Center of Excellence: Cell Structure and Function

The importance of being cellular, cell structure (including membranes) and function, cell specialization, differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes

Students read about scientists who are trying to create a living cell and discuss why they think scientists might want to "build a cell in a test tube"; students then build a model of a cell, and describe the relationships between metabolic functions and cellular components.

Unit 3: Exploring the Transfer of Information from DNA to Protein to Trait

10. DNA—The Master Molecule: The Nature of the Genetic Material

DNA structure and function, history of the discovery of DNA as the genetic material, science as a human endeavor, the nature of scientific research

Students role play scientists whose research contributed to the understanding of the structure and function of DNA.

Further Investigation—
The Goop of Life: Isolating DNA

DNA as a biological molecule with specific properties that are similar in all organisms, universal nature of biomolecules and cell structure

Students isolate DNA from various organisms and describe its properties.

11. Translating Information into Action: Information Transfer

Nature of a gene, transcription, translation, protein structure, mutations, relationship between changes in DNA sequence and changes in traits

Students read about a scientist’s plan to use DNA as a way of sending secret messages; students decode the language of DNA, and model transcription and translation; students explain how information moves from DNA to proteins to traits, and analyze the impact of mutations on proteins and traits.

12. Of Proteins and Traits: The Molecular Basis of Traits

Relationships among DNA, protein, and traits; biochemical basis of traits

Students read about genetically modified organisms and conduct an investigation in which they insert of new gene into bacteria, giving the bacteria a new trait; students learn how new traits are inserted into plants and then decide whether they would eat a potato with a gene from a different organism.

Unit 4: Exploring Patterns of Inheritance

13. The Sickling Cell: A Dominant and Recessive Trait

Dominance and recessiveness, relationship between genotype and phenotype

Students read about sickle cell disease, explain the biochemical and molecular basis of the disease, and explore patterns of inheritance; students explain why, from an evolutionary perspective, a mutated gene might be retained in a population.

14. Home on the Chromosome: The Structure and Function of Chromosomes

Chromosome structure, chromosomes as the genetic legacy, meiosis, introduction to recombination, variation

Students assume the role of genetic counselors and analyze karyotypes for a couple expecting a baby; students build a model of a chromosome and then model gamete formation and meiosis; students explain how mistakes can occur during meiosis and the consequences of those mistakes.

15. Return of Martin Guerre: Simple Inheritance Patterns

Mendelian genetics, Punnett squares, predicting and explaining variations in offspring

Students read about a man returning to a village claiming an identity; students analyze Mendel’s data and determine how variation can occur using chromosome models; students analyze genetic data to determine the man’s true identity.

16. So Many Traits; So Few Genes: Non-Mendelian Traits

Non-Mendelian patterns of gene expression; one gene-more than one protein principle

Students consider patterns of height variation in their class and speculate how this might occur; students read descriptions of various traits and identify the non-Mendelian mode demonstrated; students apply their understanding of non-Mendelian traits to the trait of height.

Further Investigation—There’s More to Life than Sequences: Exploring Epigenetics

Epigenetics: the effect of environment on gene expression

Students read about changes that occur in identical twins as they age. Students build a model of chromatin and investigate how methylation affects gene expression. Students use their understandings about epigenetics and the effects of environment to explain changes in gene expression.

Unit 5: Exploring the Evidence for Evolution

17. Creatures of the Future: Basic Principles of Evolution

Meaning of theory in science; fundamentals of evolution; evolution, past, present and future; environmental influences on evolution

Students review their prior knowledge about evolution and then discuss the word “theory” in science. They are challenged to describe what their neighborhood might look like in 50 million years and describe the evolution of a single organism in this time. They create an evolutionary timeline, read about whale evolution, and analyze theories of how life began.

18. Marvelous Blunders: Revisiting Natural Selection

Mechanism of natural selection, role of variation in populations, changes in the gene pool of a species as the basis for all evolutionary changes

Students read about mutating bacteria as a world health crisis; students conduct an investigation into how bacteria develop antibiotic resistance as a model for natural selection. Students discuss the importance of understanding evolution to life in the modern world.

19. Ancient Genes, Age Old Processes: Molecular Evidence for Evolution

The nature of scientific evidence; similarities and differences among the biochemical and molecular structures and functions of organisms; relationships between molecular and anatomical evidence for evolution

Students identify similarities among seemingly very diverse organisms and read about, interpret an experiment and analyze data relating to gene homologies among different organisms. Students are challenged to create a model of evolution that accounts for the molecular and anatomical evidence. Students determine how cladograms can provide information about the relatedness of organisms.

20. Fishing Expedition: Anatomical and Fossil Evidence for Evolution

Anatomical homologies; nature of fossils and the significance of fossil evidence; transitional organisms.

Students take on the role of paleontologists looking for transition animals between fish and amphibians; students make predictions about what to look for and where based on their understanding of evolution. Students revise their model of evolution based on their new evidence and understandings

Course Conclusion

21. Designing a Solution to a Biological Problem

Using scientific concepts and their application to solve human problems

Students use their understandings about cells, genetics, and ecosystems to design an approach to solving a human problem; students compare their approach with the approach used in Learning Experience 1.